Tuesday, November 8, 2011

DIY Tuesday: Holiday Gold Stars

I knew I was starting to feel like my old self again a couple of weeks ago when I got the itch to start some new projects! I actually got a little over ambitious and started 3 new holiday DIY projects this weekend (my husband was at an all day training on Saturday so I needed a good way to spend my free time :)

I actually made these lovely little gold stars to use as table decorations at my church's Christmas social this week. Oh and yes, I realize it's a little early for a Christmas social...but it's more of a Christmas preparation thing. We are going to be discussing different ways to make the holidays less stressful as well as ways to help remember Christ during Christmas.

I love how simple these stars were to make, and they can be used in so many different ways...
-Christmas tree ornaments
-Could be placed randomly on bookshelves
-You could hang a grouping of them with clear string over a table top for a fancy holiday dinner
-Make a bunch of tiny ones and fill glass candy/apothecary jars with them
...and I'm sure you could think of many more uses!

Click below to get the tutorial and look forward to more Holiday DIY projects posted every Tuesday right here!

Step 1. Download and print the star pattern listed above (if you have a thicker piece of card-stock to print on, it makes tracing a little easier :). Then, cut out the star shapes with scissors.

Step 2. Carefully open the cereal box along it's seam. Then trace the stars with a pen/pencil. Trace as many as you wish (each finished star needs 2 star patterns).

Step 3. Use your straight-edge and an exacto knife to cut out the star shapes. Be sure to replace the knife blade if it is dull (it will make your life much easier, I promise).

*hold the straight edge firmly with your fingers as you run the knife along it's edge...and be careful not to cut yourself! You may need to go over the cut twice, especially if your blade is dull.

Step 4. You will now need to find the center-point of your star shapes. To do this, line your ruler up with the point of one corner and then angle it straight down to the nearest v shape. (it's a little confusing to word...so check out the photos below for clarification). Mark the center-point with a pencil.

Step 5. Take your straight-edge & exacto knife and cut a line starting from the center-point of one of your stars and ending at the tip of the star. Do the same on the 2nd star, but this time cut a line from the center-point to the bottom v shape. (see photo below)

*Slip the stars together to see if you need to do any additional cutting.

The tips of the star should line up nicely.

Step 6. Find an area outside where it will be safe to spray-paint. Lay down a few sheets of newspaper or old magazine pages and set the stars on top. Spray according to paint directions, and make sure the stars get covered completely.

Step 7. Wait 5-10 min. or until the paint has dried. Flip the stars over and spray the other side.

Step 8. After the paint has dried, you can slide your star shapes together to create a 3D star form.